(KSL 5 TV/Chopper 5)
ALPINE — Utah County Sheriff’s Office tells us its search and rescue department is working to locate an overdue helicopter in Utah County this evening.
The Sheriff’s Office says family members called to report the helicopter, which took off from the Vernal Regional Airport, overdue around 2 p.m. when it didn’t return at the time expected.
“Its last known line of flight was the Horsetail Falls area in the mountains above Alpine in Utah County,” says Utah County Sheriff Sgt. Spencer Cannon. “We don’t know a specific location or what the status of the helicopter is except it’s overdue.”
Search and rescue crews are searching the area for the helicopter and the Department of Public Safety has its helicopter searching as well.
The Federal Aviation Administration says it first issued an alert notice for the missing helicopter around 2 this afternoon. The administration says this is the first step they take to alert local authorities and search crews that an aircraft might be missing.
This story is developing and will be updated.